This book was the first of its kind: a socio-rhetorical commentary on the Book of Revelation.Without sacrificing scholarly perspective or academic rigor, it is written to be accessible for a wide audience - including pastors, scholars, teachers, seminarians, and interested lay people.A 'Suggested Reading List' - a feature of all volumes in the New Cambridge Bible Commentary - will serve as point of entry for the new student of Revelation and as a helpful annotated bibliography for all readers.Frequent 'Closer-Look' sections examine key elements of the Roman-Greco world that bear on the text's meaning while 'Bridging the Horizons' sub-chapters connect this world with the cultural, political, and religious environments of today.The entire NRSV translation is provided throughout the text.Award-winning author Ben Witherington, III brings a New Testament-scholar's insight and successful clergyman's lucidity to the often opaque passages of the last book of the New Testament.